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Friday, September 30, 2011
Medical insurance aka medical aid
One of the very important things that a new "American" should set up is medical insurance. Its also law that every person must have insurance. Ok easy enough let's get it!
First quote through work .... $2000+ per month ....GULP!! That's R14000
Second option get insurance in our name. Mass health is available to unemployed people. Private insurance has a limitation on the sale of new plans / enrollments which is between july and august every year. Great!!
So now its law to get it but we can't get it because of the law. You confused? Yip us too!
We've applied for Mass health but waiting for the result. Now we busy talking to every advisor we can find to see if we can find a solution.
Keep you posted
Monday, September 19, 2011
Apple picking and 911 memorial
After mass, we popped over to the Achusnet 911 memorial (church is across the street). Its a small momorial with some of the pieces from the day - beam from one of the towers, cement from the pentagon, and a rock from where the airoplane crashed.
Apple picking - an event that happens in the fall. Next experience for the Jardim familia picking your own veg and then paying for it (I'm referring to the picking part lol).
Well it pretty much went like this....
Fall is also pumkin season, they were't ready to pick yet, maybe next week. But there were a few in buckets to pick from either for decoration or eating I suppose???
Apple picking - an event that happens in the fall. Next experience for the Jardim familia picking your own veg and then paying for it (I'm referring to the picking part lol).
Well it pretty much went like this....
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| Reach out |
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| Grab it |
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| Pull it |
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| I got it! |
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| All of us |
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| Running wild - finally some space to run, and scream! |
Fall is also pumkin season, they were't ready to pick yet, maybe next week. But there were a few in buckets to pick from either for decoration or eating I suppose???
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| Picking a typical Halloween pumkin |
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| A table of pumkins, some we know and well others we dont |
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Gaining some knowledge
We are heading towards the end of our second week in the States. The job front is not looking pretty for me due to various reasons. A: I’m South African B: I have no previous USA tax experience C: I owned my own company for over a year before we came. My resume looks very impressive and recruiters are bouncing when they read it but (always a but) when they find out ALL of my experience is outside if the US they become uncomfortably quiet. So much for accounting being a worldwide job!!! *humph*
But in this life we only get one chance so I need to get jacked up a quick! I would like to do by CPA but it will take almost a year (or less) if I study really hard and almost full time. This means no real income coming in so we really have to think about this step.
For now I've signed up at H&R Block for a individual tax return preparation course. Basically a 11 week course that teaches you to deal with the man on the street and complete their Federal and State tax returns. Yip something new I learn last night each person pays a federal (USA) and a state (Massachusetts) tax return - little old SA we only filed 1! It’s extremely basic which scares me a bit cause back home you really needed to understand the tax law before even attempting to understand the tax implication oh and for individuals there were not many benefits so you really had to be on the ball to claim any expenses. Anyway, I hope this course teaches me the black and white of USA individual tax so I can at least have a basis when applying for jobs.
The other (maybe a bonus??) with H&R is the course is a training session for potential employment for the tax season (Jan - April). After which everyone gets fired and claims unemployment, then apply again in November for the next tax season.
I would also like to apply to the small CPA firms in the area and see if they'll give me a chance. It will probably at a peasant salary but hey I guess I got to start all over again and be ok with that. I just wish this process was a little easier and less confusing. Need a huge sign... even if it smacks me in the head!
But in this life we only get one chance so I need to get jacked up a quick! I would like to do by CPA but it will take almost a year (or less) if I study really hard and almost full time. This means no real income coming in so we really have to think about this step.
For now I've signed up at H&R Block for a individual tax return preparation course. Basically a 11 week course that teaches you to deal with the man on the street and complete their Federal and State tax returns. Yip something new I learn last night each person pays a federal (USA) and a state (Massachusetts) tax return - little old SA we only filed 1! It’s extremely basic which scares me a bit cause back home you really needed to understand the tax law before even attempting to understand the tax implication oh and for individuals there were not many benefits so you really had to be on the ball to claim any expenses. Anyway, I hope this course teaches me the black and white of USA individual tax so I can at least have a basis when applying for jobs.
The other (maybe a bonus??) with H&R is the course is a training session for potential employment for the tax season (Jan - April). After which everyone gets fired and claims unemployment, then apply again in November for the next tax season.
I would also like to apply to the small CPA firms in the area and see if they'll give me a chance. It will probably at a peasant salary but hey I guess I got to start all over again and be ok with that. I just wish this process was a little easier and less confusing. Need a huge sign... even if it smacks me in the head!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Mattapoisett Beach - Ned's Point
Monday, yesterday, was a real Monday. We started off with small tasks that needed to be done and ended up with 2 long drives to Boston then to Westborough.
First up North to Boston. I received a call in the mid morning to say our box that was shipped, arrived on Friday and was ready to be cleared. I already knew this, as my agent in SA had sent me an email on Friday. However I found out that we could clear the box ourselves vs paying an agent $200. It seems to be quite complicated and we were nervous to do so, but we had plan B, the agent, if Plan A did not work. So off to Customs we go. After a mere showing of Ili's passport the box was cleared and ready to be collected. Shoo, cha ching, $200 saved!
On our way to Boston I received a call from an agent for a "what do I want" interview. He was however in the Westborough office this week which meant we had to travel. It was a 40 min drive west of Boston, but we figured since we were north already lets just do it. (Boston trip was a 1:15hr drive). Ok so interview with Agent done, lets hope he can work his magic. Drive home 1.5hours -eish
So todays mission was to get a truck to collect our box. Its not a small box so not just any truck will do. Off we go to Home Depot. Again just one more hurdle, we need a Massachusettes license in order to hire a truck - great! Thank God for Laura's dad who is willing to help us tomorrow. Yay!!!
Ili and I also managed to get our vision board drafted ie our vision is currently in a brain storm fashion just missing pictures so it can truly be a vision board.
The afternoon, we decided to chill and finally visit the beach! We met Laura, her mom and the boys at Ned's Point, Mattapoisett. It was really good to hear the ocean, see the ocean, smell the ocean and just sit. Sit. Sit. Clear the mind and sit.
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| Robby, Jaime and Mimi holding the lighthouse up... |
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| The posers |
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| Using the binoculars to spot whales |
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| Lucky, Robby had his too! |
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| The beach. A bit rocky but still a beach. Jaime took some time to settle in but when he did he had a blast! The shoes and pants were off. He ran on those stones like his feet were protected with a hard rubber. Throwing stones was just so much fun! |
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| Running away from the wave...note the HUGE wave behind him tee hee |
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| Looking at hermit crabs between the rocks |
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| Eventually the shirt was off so he could swim. Even drawing in the sand was fun! |
This was Jaime's second time at the beach so you can say a completely new experience for him. The texture of the sand was quite an ordial, but luckily he was willing to experiment, as you saw above, and rather enjoyed the texture between his toes and fingers. He wanted to go for a swim, he asked to take his clothes off so he could swim, but mentally he just could not go into the water. having said that he did wet his toes cleaning some hermit crabs.
I am happy we staying close to the ocean cause I do love it so much!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
The Apple and Peach festival
Saturday here in the US is quite the same and quite different from SA. You say huh? let me explain:
Same: Saturday is for fixing up the Garden
Different: SA - you tell the garden boy what to do and supervise
US - you are the garden boy!
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| Peter and Ili cutting down some pine trees. |
Saturday afternoon is for chilling. After the boys washed up and the other boys napped, we popped down to the town next door, Acushnet, for their annual Apple and Peach festival.
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| Ili all packed up ready for the walk. Jaime being really social (playing games on the phone) |
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| The officer directing traffic. Thought it would be fun and real touristy to take pics of everything...him included. |
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| The festival: whole bunch of stalls with cute and kitch things, some ice cream stalls, peach and apple pies stalls, candles, woodwork etc etc. |
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| The official sign - again tourist! |
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| Jaime in front of one of the local farm displays. He is holding a piece of hay which he chose to show you. |
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| Dinner - yummy hot dogs |
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| Jaime just eats the sausage... |
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| Something new and tasty: fried onion and ranch dip. Makes you miss Spur! |
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| The Portuguese are everywhere! in fact so is Amaral tee hee |
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| Live band |
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Learners Permit (Learners License)
September 8 - the date we felt 16 again. We worked through the manual and done on average 100 test questions but geez I feel like Im gonna explode with all my nerves!
9:30 Ili and I leave for the test centre. 5 minutes into the drive we realise we've forgotten the documents at home. To add to the nerves, the time delay is the rain. It was belting down! Def not doing the road test today!
Ok so we all set and on the road again almost an hour later.
Again government office, get a ticket and wait. Ili gets called and then me. Again things with are not smooth on my side. This time its my date of birth, the proof thereof. Even though I have 4 documents proving hwta day I was born the guy still had to go to his manager and check if it was acceptable?????? very frustrating and just aggrevates my nerves. Anyway it was accepted, did the eye test, passed that sho! and then the written test.
Ili was already in, he glances at me and shakes his head ...oh boy!
My first few questions were not exactly easy so skipped alot and finally got some questions that I knew. You have 25 minutes to write a 25 question exam and have to get 18 right. I was counting my 18 correct answers!
After about 15 minutes I was done - 22/25 and ili 21/25 yeah baby we both passed!!!!
9:30 Ili and I leave for the test centre. 5 minutes into the drive we realise we've forgotten the documents at home. To add to the nerves, the time delay is the rain. It was belting down! Def not doing the road test today!
Ok so we all set and on the road again almost an hour later.
Again government office, get a ticket and wait. Ili gets called and then me. Again things with are not smooth on my side. This time its my date of birth, the proof thereof. Even though I have 4 documents proving hwta day I was born the guy still had to go to his manager and check if it was acceptable?????? very frustrating and just aggrevates my nerves. Anyway it was accepted, did the eye test, passed that sho! and then the written test.
Ili was already in, he glances at me and shakes his head ...oh boy!
My first few questions were not exactly easy so skipped alot and finally got some questions that I knew. You have 25 minutes to write a 25 question exam and have to get 18 right. I was counting my 18 correct answers!
After about 15 minutes I was done - 22/25 and ili 21/25 yeah baby we both passed!!!!
Now moving ahead to our drivers raod test. Again another challenge: we need a sponsor to drive with us in the test with the examiner. We have to show that we own the car (difficult since we need the license to buy a car) or we can show its a rental BUT we have to get permission from the rental agent to drive the car in a road test. Oh and we need to actually do the test...and pass!
To be continued....
Gonna try do Jaimes admin today...hope this time we can cross it off the list!
Identity set up
We did the social security office yesterday - this was fun! After driving around in the rain for 10 minutes cause in New Bedford, in fact in any city, the parking lots are restricted, so finding a public parking lot is challenging. And then another 10 walking in the rain we finally entered the federal building. Security checks, questions questions etc we enter. Like most government offices you wait, and wait. Unlike in SA you dont stand in a line here you take a ticket and you wait for your number to be called.
After about 40minutes of waiting our number is called.
We state why we are there and hand over the documents. easy right ... oh no not in Rosa Maria/ Rose/ Rosemary's life. I mean I have many names and respond to all of them - but in the US your name is one and one alone. Ok so the confusion is "what is my first name?" is it Rosa, or Rosa Maria? According to all my SA documents they do not stipulate between all my names but in the US my name is Rosa. So this argument went on for at least 20 min! Eventually the guy "changed" my official name to Rosa. yip just Rosa.
Mr Jaime well we have to go back as we did not have all the documents. Great! This is becoming a trend for us. So we try again tomorrow.
Also happening tomorrow is our learners permit. So Ili and I have to work through a manual of over 150 pages before tomorrow. I know that there are test exams on line some free others not which I hope will help us!
Keep us in your thoughts for tomorrow!
After about 40minutes of waiting our number is called.
We state why we are there and hand over the documents. easy right ... oh no not in Rosa Maria/ Rose/ Rosemary's life. I mean I have many names and respond to all of them - but in the US your name is one and one alone. Ok so the confusion is "what is my first name?" is it Rosa, or Rosa Maria? According to all my SA documents they do not stipulate between all my names but in the US my name is Rosa. So this argument went on for at least 20 min! Eventually the guy "changed" my official name to Rosa. yip just Rosa.
Mr Jaime well we have to go back as we did not have all the documents. Great! This is becoming a trend for us. So we try again tomorrow.
Also happening tomorrow is our learners permit. So Ili and I have to work through a manual of over 150 pages before tomorrow. I know that there are test exams on line some free others not which I hope will help us!
Keep us in your thoughts for tomorrow!
Monday, September 5, 2011
Second thing on the checklist
Our second thing on the checklist - the cell phones! We need to get mobile literally! Our Vodacom roaming aint working so we feeling pretty disconnected.
Off we go to Verizon -
POA: upgrade my prepaid account to a contract and bob's your uncle.
Reality: my $100 on my prepaid has expired and I ahve to start a new contract from scratch grrrr * 10mil!
So Ili and I sign up 2 contracts, with which we receive 2 Droid phones. Dont ask me what a DROID phone is cause I dont know (they tell me its the processing system ???) Anyway this things are huge! I initially thought it was a tablet cause of its size but its not ;-( its a fancy handset with a touch screen. We have over 400 apps to choose from (all new stuff I tell you) and loads of things to do on it, even Ili has become this phone obsessed high roller, mmm people do change tee hee.
Off we go to Verizon -
POA: upgrade my prepaid account to a contract and bob's your uncle.
Reality: my $100 on my prepaid has expired and I ahve to start a new contract from scratch grrrr * 10mil!
So Ili and I sign up 2 contracts, with which we receive 2 Droid phones. Dont ask me what a DROID phone is cause I dont know (they tell me its the processing system ???) Anyway this things are huge! I initially thought it was a tablet cause of its size but its not ;-( its a fancy handset with a touch screen. We have over 400 apps to choose from (all new stuff I tell you) and loads of things to do on it, even Ili has become this phone obsessed high roller, mmm people do change tee hee.
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| Our DROID |
Start of the checklist
As normal immigrants we have a checklist we need to get through for example cars, cell phone, jobs, place to stay, bank accounts etc etc
So the first thing on our list that gets investigated, can you guess??? in true Portuguese style the car! We visit Chev, Honda and Kia.
We arrive at Chev, Ili wops out the stroller and says " oh we need to take the airline tag off we dont want them thinking we tourists" bwahahahahahah Ili we sound VERY different you dont need a sticker on a stroller to say we not local!!!
My option would be number 3 the Kia Soul. It’s got spunk and it’s a great get around car. Love it! They difficult to get here as they selling so fast, but here is hoping and praying.
Ok another ili moment: (this is going to be hard to explain as it’s an accent thing but work with me and read the words as I type them, hope you get it) we at Kia and Ili asks for the Kia Sport - Ah-ge, the agent mmm I leave my comments to myself, took Peter and Ili on their little adventure through the cars. He even offered us a test drive, on our own, no agent! very different. Anyway back to Ili, we telling Laura the story the next morning and she pipes out " Hey what car were you looking for at Kia? the Kia Sport-edge?" well that was it we were all rolling on the floor laughing. We were probably the joke of the day at the dealership us and our sport - Ahge.
I guess this is gonna happen alot - I hope we laugh each time like we did today!
The hurdle before that car can be bought (there is always one) we have to redo our learners and drivers exams. eeeiiicccckkk remember that??? Oi all those signs and the multiple choice dam was not expecting that!!!! and the practical dam that 5 point head check, the handbreaks etc and we driving on the other side of the road - can you imagine parrallel parking, alley docking??? breath...breath.... so we need to book this asap so we can buy a car. Wish us luck!
So the first thing on our list that gets investigated, can you guess??? in true Portuguese style the car! We visit Chev, Honda and Kia.
We arrive at Chev, Ili wops out the stroller and says " oh we need to take the airline tag off we dont want them thinking we tourists" bwahahahahahah Ili we sound VERY different you dont need a sticker on a stroller to say we not local!!!
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| Option1: Chev Equinox |
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| Option2: CRV Honda |
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| Option3: Kia Soul |
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| Option 4: Kia Sportage |
My option would be number 3 the Kia Soul. It’s got spunk and it’s a great get around car. Love it! They difficult to get here as they selling so fast, but here is hoping and praying.
Ok another ili moment: (this is going to be hard to explain as it’s an accent thing but work with me and read the words as I type them, hope you get it) we at Kia and Ili asks for the Kia Sport - Ah-ge, the agent mmm I leave my comments to myself, took Peter and Ili on their little adventure through the cars. He even offered us a test drive, on our own, no agent! very different. Anyway back to Ili, we telling Laura the story the next morning and she pipes out " Hey what car were you looking for at Kia? the Kia Sport-edge?" well that was it we were all rolling on the floor laughing. We were probably the joke of the day at the dealership us and our sport - Ahge.
I guess this is gonna happen alot - I hope we laugh each time like we did today!
The hurdle before that car can be bought (there is always one) we have to redo our learners and drivers exams. eeeiiicccckkk remember that??? Oi all those signs and the multiple choice dam was not expecting that!!!! and the practical dam that 5 point head check, the handbreaks etc and we driving on the other side of the road - can you imagine parrallel parking, alley docking??? breath...breath.... so we need to book this asap so we can buy a car. Wish us luck!
Our first days on planet USA
Our flight from SA was broken in half by an 8 hour, sorry 6 hour, wait in London. Thanks to Gary those 6 hours flew by so fast and we got to catch up which was great. Jaime travelled really well, slept most of the way and the other bit either watched movies with his new McQueen headset or played leapfrog.
Arrival in the US September 2 2011.
Our arrival was filled with excitement, nerves, anxiousness for various reasons of which I’m sure you can figure out. The one reason however, was one we discovered a week before we left, our lawyer informed us that we should have been in the US already i.e. we shouldn’t have been out of the country for longer than 6 months (we were going on 10 mths). Great! Ili and I were under the impression that we had a year and a half to move and we were in fact "early". Ok well we deal with the matter at hand and start building documents as proof on why it has taken us longer than 6 months to move. This is not an easy feat - We had to learn about filing income tax returns, how to register a company, make copies of everything and prepare answers for everything. The last thing we needed was to arrive in the US after a 24 hour trip, and be sent back home with nothing.
17h20 Virgin Atlantic touches ground with US soil - we are "home". I can see and sense the nervousness in Ili, but neither of us trying not to let it affect our "confidence". We disembarked from the plane, after Jaime saying bye and blowing kisses to everyone he walked past, picked up our stroller collected ourselves and walked through to the US residents immigration line. It moved pretty quickly which made our hearts pound faster. ok we next, ahum, Good evening. Passport please, Greencards please, - here is the part we were dreading "how long have you been out the country?" I look at Ili, back to the official and respond "9months, we are officially moving to the US now" he replies "OK please put your fingers on the screen...” and that was that!
Ili and I were giggling all the way to baggage control; we could not believe how stress free that was. And the rest of our luck continued, all 3 bags (the only 3 bags wrapped in cling wrap lol) arrived, and off we went to the arrivals gate. Honestly with the send off that we had we at least expected a "welcome to the US" sign but no, we waited and waited eventually called my brother Peter to confirm that he knew we were coming today...mmm he says he was at the wrong terminal..???? At least he came.
And our quest continues...
1 September 2011 - Our Journey begins
We left SA on Thursday September, 1 2011. After a very stressful few weeks of packing, research, finalising business that final day arrived. We left SA with a huge send off by family, friends and the Bokke fans (they actually came to see the Bokke off to New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup, but we like to think they came to send us off).
After an emotional and heart sore Goodbye the Jardim Familia started on their journey through the South African boarder control. Our flight was delayed by 2.5 hours so we had some time shopping, not that we bought anything, but it was relaxing none the less. Around 10:15 Virgin Atlantic commenced boarding, with everyone on board two passengers decided they'd rather get off...grrr another 2 hour delay! Finally 12:30 Virgin Atlantic airlines leave South African soil.
No going back now!
After an emotional and heart sore Goodbye the Jardim Familia started on their journey through the South African boarder control. Our flight was delayed by 2.5 hours so we had some time shopping, not that we bought anything, but it was relaxing none the less. Around 10:15 Virgin Atlantic commenced boarding, with everyone on board two passengers decided they'd rather get off...grrr another 2 hour delay! Finally 12:30 Virgin Atlantic airlines leave South African soil.
No going back now!
28 August 2011 - Our Farewell and celebration of Ili's birthday
Our extinguished guests were invited in true SA fashion, an sms:
"Howzit china's, we can like to invite you to a kiff Proudly South African shindig. Dress the part, rock up, have some chow, and tell us why you love RSA. Most of all let's celebrate Ili turning another year older & send us on our adventure with our love tanks full. It all goes down Sunday 28 August at 12:20, op die plaas. Ok, lekker schweet, check ja lata, Cheers. Bye. Over & Out"
The day included a braai, boerewors & espetada, pap & sous, green salad, 3 bean salad and home made bread yummy yum yumm Amstels and SA wine floating around between the laughter and the tears.
Click on the Thumbnail below the feeds list to see some pics of the day. Cant seem to get the slideshow to show in my Post grrr. Enjoy anyway.
"Howzit china's, we can like to invite you to a kiff Proudly South African shindig. Dress the part, rock up, have some chow, and tell us why you love RSA. Most of all let's celebrate Ili turning another year older & send us on our adventure with our love tanks full. It all goes down Sunday 28 August at 12:20, op die plaas. Ok, lekker schweet, check ja lata, Cheers. Bye. Over & Out"
The day included a braai, boerewors & espetada, pap & sous, green salad, 3 bean salad and home made bread yummy yum yumm Amstels and SA wine floating around between the laughter and the tears.
Click on the Thumbnail below the feeds list to see some pics of the day. Cant seem to get the slideshow to show in my Post grrr. Enjoy anyway.
Change of name
I've decided to change the name of the blog, everything will continue to be about Jaime, after all he is my everything, but it will also include all about us the Jardim Familia that lived in SA, moved to the US and made it work!
So keep in touch, I hope to update often so that you are up to date and I have a memory of what happened and the journey that we travelled as a family.
Enough now the new name is:
So keep in touch, I hope to update often so that you are up to date and I have a memory of what happened and the journey that we travelled as a family.
Enough now the new name is:
the Familia Jardim
a journey never to be forgotten
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